Still Breathing
by ParagonST12
Summary: After Shepard activated the Crucible, peace returned to the galaxy. But for some, his apparent sacrifice nearly outweighs the victory. Set directly after the conclusion of Mass Effect 3, Still Breathing tells the tale of the surviving members of the Normandy's crew and their journey back home. Background info: using Earth-born male Shepard who chose the destroy ending.
1. Chapter 1

Still Breathing

 **Chapter 1**

Tali leaned against the hull, staring straight ahead in a daze. Her mind was still in shock and trying to process what had just happened. In front of her Joker sat in the cockpit, his white knuckled hands still gripping the steadily smoking console in front of him. Garrus groaned and slowly pried himself from the floor, a few drops of blood dripping from his forehead as he clutched his recently patched-up injuries with a grimace. Through the cracked window of the Normandy, Tali could make out pieces of the ship's hull, bent and smoldering from their violent atmospheric reentry.

"Ugh… EDI, status report" Joker muttered. There was no reply, and the pilot glanced over to his right. "EDI, I said- EDI? Shit!" Joker hobbled out of his chair and over to the limp, unmoving body of the ships AI draped over her control console. He tilted her head up to meet his own and saw that the holographic visor that normally covered her eyes was conspicuously absent, all signs of life gone from her face.

"Dammit EDI, no" he whispered.

At that moment Liara came limping into the cockpit clutching her arm, having suffered her own injuries from the crash. "Is everyone alright?" she called in concern. Tali shook off some of the shock from their crash landing and started to push herself up, but reconsidered as a stabbing pain shot up her leg and abdomen from the wounds she'd received back on Earth. Instead she just nodded at Liara and said "the rest of us are alive but…".

"But EDI…" choked out Joker.

Liara moved over to the AI's body and whipped out her omni-tool, making a few fancy finger swipes and pushing the holographic keys. She spent a few moments analyzing some scans of the synthetic frame then turned to Joker. "It looks like she was able to upload her program into an offline storage unit and disconnect the power. Whatever just took out the Reapers didn't affect her, however it will probably take a bit of work to get her back online" she said and gave the pilot a reassuring nod. He lowered his head and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Wait" asked Garrus. "Then how come it didn't take out the fleets orbiting Earth, or our omni-tools?"

"Or Tali's suit functions?" added Joker.

"It is still unclear" Liara replied as she sifted through data on her holographic display. "Whatever that signal was that the crucible sent out was far beyond any kind of Prothean technology I am familiar with. Or anyone is familiar with it would seem".

"Speaking of which" said Garrus. "we're damn lucky we dropped out of FTL when we did. This planet seems to have an atmosphere and judging by the holes in the Normandy we'd probably be suffocating in a vacuum otherwise" and he pointed out the bay window to indicate the lush green vegetation.

"Yeah… about that" said Joker as he rubbed his neck. "I remembered this planet from when we were surveying during the collector attacks. It was the closest thing to the Sol relay, so I figured it was our best shot".

"Quick thinking" remarked Garrus, and Tali silently agreed. If he hadn't gotten them to this planet they'd probably be drifting through space with no power right now. He'd undoubtedly just save all their lives.

"Question is, can we actually get this ship back off the ground and back to Earth?" inquired Garrus. "Cause I'd sure as hell like to give Shepard a pat on the back for whatever he just pulled off".

Tali lit up at the mention of Shepard's name. The last time she'd seen him he was pushing her into the Normandy's hanger bay and rushing off on a suicide run straight at Harbinger. Tali felt a stinging pain in her chest as she remembered what it was like to watch him run off towards almost certain death. To know that it would be the last time she'd ever see the person she loved. But if the crucible worked… if he made it to the citadel then he just might be alive, she told herself. She was then shaken out of her own thoughts as she looked up to see everyone staring at her.

"Oh, umm. Well…" she stuttered as she ran some quick numbers in her head and assumed the worst-case scenario for the ships damage report. "If the Normandy is as bad is she looks from here then it could take weeks, assuming we even had all the right parts… but…" she thought about seeing Shepard again, about holding him again. If the others could see her face clearly, they would have noticed a new determination spread across it. "But we'll do it in one" she stated boldly with a sharp nod.

"Heh, well someone's certainly eager to get going" chuckled Garrus. "What's the matter, didn't get a good enough look at London last time we were there?" he joked, knowing full well why the Quarian wanted to get back to Earth.

"Well first thing's first, we should all head down to the med bay to take care of our injuries. Then we can start repairs" said Liara with a calming smile.

"Great, cause' I think every bone that could be broken has been" remarked Joker.

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Shepard's vision was one big red blur. He tried to groan but found he didn't have any air in his lungs to let out. 'breath!' he screamed at himself in his head. 'Breath dammit!'. He felt like his whole body just wanted to shut down, like all he wanted to do was sleep for a week straight. But he knew he couldn't. he knew if he slipped away now there was no waking up. He summoned up all the energy he could muster and suddenly his eyes shot wide open as he took a sharp inhale of air into his lungs.

At once Shepard's whole body was on fire, every nerve cell screaming in a dull pain as consciousness flowed back into him. Through the blood covering his eyes he could vaguely make out the rubble that he was currently half entombed in. For a few seconds any sound was drowned out by a fierce ringing in his ears, then it dulled until he could faintly hear what sounded like a voice in the distance. At first he couldn't make out what it was saying, then he parsed out a few words. "I think… eard someth…ver there". Shepard tried to move his arm, to just raise it a little bit so he could get the attention of the voice. Instead his arm didn't budge, and a searing pain shot through the whole side of his body. Involuntarily he let out a choked scream as the agony h

Out of the corner of his eye he could just make out a blurry figure moving towards him. "Holy shit… I FOUND SOMEONE!" the figure yelled out and started waving his arm back and forth. They then knelt to examine him closer and let out a gasp. "Jesus Christ, It's Shepard! Hey, I've got Shepard over here! Quick bring some medi-gel and a stretcher!" they screamed. The figure then bent closer, almost right up to Shepard's face. "It's gonna be alright sir, just hang on. We'll get you outta here."

Two more blurs appeared in Shepard's peripherals and started to remove the rubble that covered his body. He let out a soft groan as the weight upon his limbs and chest began to alleviate. As the last of the concrete and twisted metal was removed the three figures hoisted Shepard carefully into the air, but even the gentlest movement caused him to croak out a groan of agony. Had he more energy he would probably be screaming at the top of his lungs, but as it was his vision started to blur and get dark. He knew this feeling all too well. Shepard was about to pass out. As he fought to remain conscious, images flashed before his mind. Even in his dazed state he knew they could be the last thoughts he ever had, and as he considered this his mind rested on one image. The image of Tali's face from the night before storming the Collector base remained burned into his brain as he drifted into darkness.

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Tali sniffled a bit as she worked. Her suit had gotten a few ruptures during the fighting in London and after a week of labor her immune system was catching up with her. Still, a fever and some sniffling was a small price to pay for survival.

'Alright, 3… 2… 1…' at the end of her mental countdown Tali connected the power coupling and quickly flipped a switch on the Normandy's main power breaker. She heard the whir of the drive core starting up and the lights began to flicker as the ship came to life. After a few moments the systems had all stabilized. They had power.

"Hah, that did it!" she exclaimed to no one in particular. Just then the intercom gave a short hiss and Jokers voice came through it.

"Tali, you're a freakin' miracle worker. All systems are up and functional" he stated jovially.

Tali activated her short-range comm unit. "Joker please, half the Quarian fleet is made of salvaged ships that were worse off than the Normandy SR-1 after the collector attack. This was nothing" she quipped. That was of course a slight exaggeration on her part. It had taken 7 sleepless nights and the efforts of nearly every crew member who could hold a welding torch or soldering iron to get the ship back up and functioning this quickly. The fact that Ken and Gabby had made it through the crash certainly helped as well, but she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to flash her Quarian pride in ship repair.

"Yeah, yeah. Well we should have communications up and running in a few, provided the comm buoys are still functioning in this sector. Start making your way up to the cockpit" said Joker. Tali obliged and began heading toward the elevator. She was trying to be optimistic about the news they might hear, however she still couldn't help but to nervously ring her hands on the ride up to the bridge.

Tali nodded at specialist Traynor, who gave her a reassuring smile as she headed towards the cockpit doorway. Noticing it was already open she walked straight in but stopped in her tracks at the scene before her. Displayed on the vid screen was a blurry video that showed the citadel plummeting through earth's atmosphere, a soft red glow surrounding the crumbling space station. Garrus sat in the co-pilot seat, his head down and a clawed hand resting on his forehead. Joker watched the screen shaking his head, his mouth slightly agape while Liara stood behind him and stared with her hand covering her mouth in shock. As the image on the screen showed the citadel impact the ground with crushing force Tali let out a short sobbing gasp and the others turned to notice her presence.

"Tali… I'm so…" began Liara. She turned to Joker "Do we know for certain he was on board?" she asked in a soft and desperate tone.

Joker hung his head. "I got a report form Admiral Hackett" he said through clenched teeth. "It… It confirmed Shepard was the one who activated The Crucible… It came crashing down right after the signal went out". He looked up at the Quarian "I'm sorry Tali, I… I know how much the commander meant to you…".

"Damn it" Garrus growled softly. "I wish just once he could've let someone else… someone…" he left the thought unfinished as he let out a deep, mournful sigh and repeated "damn it".

Garrus finally looked back up at the Quarian "Tali I- ". But she had already begun to take a step back on shaking legs, acknowledging no one, her eyes fixed to the scene of the crumpled citadel on the vid screen. She took a few more steps back then swiftly turned and began walking back toward the elevator.

"Tali!" Garrus called after her as he began to get up and follow, but Liara caught his shoulder and shook her head.

"Let her go" she said softly. "I don't think there's anything we can say to her right now". Garrus let out a sigh and collapsed back into the chair he was sitting in. he supposed Liara was right. They had all lost a friend just now, but he knew she had lost something much more.

As Tali walked back to the elevator she didn't know what to look at, what to do with her hands. She felt like she wasn't in control of her own body. She instinctively pushed the button on the elevator that led to Shepard's cabin. As it ascended, thoughts came and went through her mind like lightning strikes. Images, memories, emotions, all whirled in her head like a cyclone, unable to latch onto any one for more than a moment before the next rushed in.

As she opened the door and stepped into Shepard's room, the thoughts suddenly became more concrete. She took a step in and glanced at the spot on his bed where she'd sat their first night together. That was the first time she'd ever been in his cabin and emotions washed over her as she was hit with the realization that she would never share it with him again. Tali collapsed to the floor on trembling legs a few inches from the door way and heaved a heavy sob. Tears streamed down her face as their all too short relationship flashed in her memory. Shepard saving her in the alley where they first met. Watching him die once before as the Collectors destroyed the Normandy, then finding him alive again on Freedoms Progress. She remembered her stumbling words as she confessed her feelings for him, how surprised and grateful she was when he reciprocated. She thought about the first time she'd shown him her face, about their first kiss. She remembered him helping her take back Rannoch and sitting on a cliff with him in the sunset of her home world.

All these thoughts flooded her mind as she softly cried on the floor, the heat of the tears and gasps of air steaming up the inside of her mask. She drifted off into restless dreams after 7 days of almost no sleep and the weight of loss weighing heavily on her heart.


	2. Chapter 2

Still Breathing

 **Chapter 2**

Tali's dreams were as emotionally charged as the memories she experienced while awake. But in her sleep, they were even more real, more vivid and the pain of leaving him on Earth came rushing back to her…

 _Shepard helped Tali up and put her arm around his shoulder. Her purple visor was covered in dirt and blood, as she limped towards the recently landed Normandy. Garrus not far behind, clutching his side. Shepard helped her up onto the ramp of the hangar bay and handed her to the Turian "Here, take her" he commanded._

" _Shepard…" Tali began to protest._

" _You gotta get out of here" he replied. Garrus hefted Tali onto his shoulder and looked right at Shepard. "And you got to be kidding me" he said in disbelief. Tali just shook her head "I can't stay behind"._

" _Don't argue with me, Tali" Shepard scolded her. Tali started to tear up. She knew what he was trying to do, and she knew it was suicide. She attempted once more in vain to stop him. "Don't leave me behind…" she pleaded._

 _Shepard began to walk up the ramp and looked into her eyes "I need you to make it out of here alive, Tali" he said in a caring voice. "Get back to Rannoch, build yourself a home" he told her as he placed his hand on the side of her helmet._

" _I have a home" she barely choked out, tears now freely flowing on the inside of her helmet. She realized she couldn't convince him to run away with her. She knew that just wasn't the kind of person Shepard was. The man she fell head over heels for would willingly put himself in danger to save others without hesitation, and in a way, it was part of what she really loved about him._

 _As he slowly withdrew his hand from her helmet and backed down from the ramp she felt her heart sink and reached out towards him. "Come back to me" she begged. Shepard took a few paces back until he was off the ramp, looked up at Harbinger, then returned his gaze to Tali with determination in his eyes. "Go!" he yelled, and turned to resume running towards the beam that led up to the Citadel. The Normandy began to take off. Garrus pulled Tali back into the hangar as the door closed behind them and she felt as if a knife had been plunged deep into her chest…_

Liara tapped softly on the door to Shepard's cabin. After checking engineering, she knew there was only one other place the Quarian would go. "Tali?" she called through the thick metal. There was no response. She lifted her hand to the holographic panel and opened the door, immediately noticing the collapsed form of Tali lying on the floor. Liara thought she might be hurt at first, but then noticed the rhythmic breathing and relaxed. Clearly the shock and emotions were all too much for the young Quarian to handle. It had been several hours since they'd gotten the communication systems back online and Garrus had asked Liara to go check on her.

Liara bent down and gently shook the sleeping girl until she noticed the distinctive glowing eyes slowly open up beneath her purple visor. "Tali?" she asked again in concern. Tali suddenly shot up and looked around the room in a panic "Shepard!" she cried, her breathing heavy. Liara wasted no time and brought the distressed Quarian into a gentle hug. "I know Tali. I'm here" she soothed. "I… came to check on you. I know you're not alright, but…" she didn't quite know how to finish the sentence as Tali began trembling in her arms.

"I just can't believe…" Tali started in a shaky voice. "How… how could he leave me like that Liara?" she asked woefully. "I would have gone with him… or… or… I could've…" she gave a single heavy sob as she recalled her dream and the last time she'd seen Shepard, disappearing over the closing ramp of the Normandy's hangar bay.

"Tali… what Shepard did… he saved the galaxy. He just wanted you to be safe, and you can't blame yourself." Liara tried to assure her.

"I know, but…" Tali didn't know what to say next as the conflicting emotions of anger at sorrow welled up inside her. She buried her visor into Liara's shoulder. "I just don't know what to do" She whispered hoarsely.

"I know" Liara cooed sympathetically as she held her friend. After a few more moments they separated and Liara stood up to reach into her pocket. She pulled out a name plate with 'Commander John Shepard' etched into it.

"Glyph made it" she said softly. "I thought perhaps… you would want to be the one to place it on the wall. When you're ready". She handed the strip of metal to Tali who accepted it and held it in her lap, looking at it for several moments. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of placing his name next to Ashley, Thane, Mordin, all the other friends this war had taken from them.

"Thank you" she finally said. "I just…".

"It's alright. Take all the time you need" she said with a knowing smile. "The ship won't be ready to take off for another day or so". Tali nodded and looked back down at the name plate, running her fingers across the letters. Liara began to exit towards the elevator, then turned and said "If you need anything, please. Don't hesitate to ask". Tali nodded slowly.

As Liara stepped off the elevator and onto the crew deck she saw Garrus standing at the memorial wall and he turned to face her. "So, how's she doing?" he asked.

"About as well as one would expect I suppose" Liara responded despondently as she stopped to stand next to him. "I just can't imagine what she's going through right now. I know their relationship was… special".

"Hmm, well that's putting it mildly isn't it. I mean a human and a Quarian" Garrus said musingly.

"I know. It always seemed like an unlikely match, but… I don't think I've ever seen such a perfect couple" she sighed solemnly.

"Yeah…" Garrus responded with equal melancholy. The two then stood silent for a while and traced the names of their fallen comrades up and down the wall.


	3. Chapter 3

Still Breathing

 **Chapter 3**

Shepard felt as though his whole head was in a block of cement as his brain slowly started to grasp at consciousness. All outside stimuli felt dulled and distant, but he could vaguely glimpse a soft light forming in the center of his vision and could hear muffled voices as though they were coming through a brick wall. He strained to home in on the sounds and could start to make out echoing words coming from a gruff voice. "… telling you… need… fix… damn problem…" it said. The voice sounded familiar to Shepard and he tried to open his eyes to take in his surroundings. He managed to crack open an eyelid, only to be greeted with an intensely bright light and he let out a soft groan.

"He's waking up, quick, do a check on his vitals" commanded a new voice. Shepard could see a blurry figure dart across field of view and blinked several times. As his vision cleared somewhat he could see the outline of a hulking figure standing over him.

"Hahaha, I knew they couldn't keep you down for the count Shepard" came the familiar voice.

Shepard blinked a few more times and began to recognize the figure before him. "Wr… Wrex?" he croaked out dryly.

Wrex gave another one of his distinctive deep laughs "Welcome back".

Shepard attempted to sit up and immediately regretted it as his whole body recoiled in a wave of aching pain. He instead let out a hoarse groan and let his head rest against the pillow.

"Yeah, looks like you took one hell of a beating back there, you've been out for at least a week" Wrex remarked. "But I figure it takes more than a crashing space station to take you out at this point".

Shepard glanced around at his surroundings. He was in a makeshift hospital room with several beeping machines around his bed and a large window overlooking the now decrepit city of London. Looking down at himself with strained effort he could see an IV drip that was connected to his arm with a light blue liquid running through it. "how bad was it?" he asked, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"Well I'm no doctor, but pretty bad. Not too many people can fall out of orbit and live to tell about it. Well, twice in your case" he said.

Shepard let out a dry laugh. "Actually, I died the first time" he reminded him.

Wrex shrugged "Well you know what they say, with practice comes perfect" The Krogan said wryly.

Shepard thought about the last things he could remember, about speaking with the Catalyst, about activating the crucible. Then his thoughts turned to his last memory with Tali, about putting her on the Normandy to get to safety.

"Wrex…" Shepard began. "Did we… Did we do it?" he asked hopefully.

Wrex gave a soft chuckle. "I don't think we'd be here talking if you didn't" he said. "Whatever you did up there killed every last reaper in the galaxy. Looks like it destroyed every mass relay along with em' too, so thanks for that".

"And the others? Did they make it? Did Tali…" Shepard asked.

Wrex shook his head slowly. "I don't know. Comms and computer systems have been a mess" he answered. "You're still listed KIA by the Alliance, so that should give you an idea of how screwed up things are. That's what I was asking the doctor about just before you woke up. Figured people deserve to know you made it out of there in one piece".

Shepard rested his head against the pillow and gave a deep sigh. He hoped that Tali and the others made it out safe, but his mind was racing with worry and uncertainty. "Thanks Wrex" he said dryly.

Wrex nodded. "I'll let you rest, be back in later to check up. Let me know if they're treating ya alright. I'm not above knocking a few heads around in a hospital" he said with a grin, and left Shepard to his own thoughts.

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The crew of the Normandy stood around the memorial wall in a somber silence. Some held their gaze down in reverence, others scanned the name plates that decorated the large plaque and remembered their lost friends, and still more wiped tears from their eyes. Tali walked slowly toward the wall, Shepard's name plate in her hands. As she stood before the names of her fallen comrades she raised the plate up and ran her fingers across the letters of his name once again. It didn't feel right. Tali looked at all the names of the dead and realized she didn't feel that Shepard's name belonged with them, not yet. She new it was foolish, but through the pangs of sorrow a new emotion arose within her as she stared at the wall. It was like a mixture of anger and hope and determination all bubbling up to the surface at once. She closed her eyes and looked toward the ceiling of the ship, contemplating what she was feeling, letting the emotions wash over her. Then she turned to face the rest of the crew.

"It's not right…" she said softly. Liara hung her head and Garrus approached her slowly, putting a concerned hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard Tali, but this is the best we can do for him right now" he tried to persuade her.

"No. that's not it" she replied. "We still don't know what happened to him. Not for sure. And if there's even a chance that he… that he…". She stopped and took a deep breath in and out. "We can't put his name up there…" she pointed sharply at the wall. "… not until we're certain" Tali said with a resolve that betrayed her current emotional state.

"Tali…" Liara began, but she was interrupted by James.

"No, Tali's right" said Vega flatly. "Loco's crawled outta more rubble piles than I can count on two hands. Who's to say he didn't make it out of this one?"

"James… What if you're wrong? What if…" Liara began.

Vega shrugged and shook his head "We won't know until we get back to Earth and find out, right?". Liara supposed she couldn't really argue with the logic. She sighed in defeat and looked over at Joker. "Well?" she asked.

"Well, we still have another day of work to do patching up the hull, but yeah. We'll have to get back to civilization sooner or later" said the pilot.

"How long will it take once we're in the air?" asked Garrus.

"The mass relays are all gone, so we'll have to use our eezo reserves to travel FTL the old-fashioned way" replied Joker. "This system is in the local cluster, but it'll still take a few days to get back. Maybe a week if we have to drift some of the way depending on our fuel supply." The others nodded and the crew began to disperse and work on the needed repairs. Garrus turned again to Tali.

"You're sure you're okay with this?" he asked. "You might not like what we find when we get back"

Tali nodded. "We'll find out eventually, won't we?" she said softly.

"I suppose so. Just… try and take care of yourself in the meantime" the Turian said as he departed. Tali let out a sigh as she realized how exhausted she was, both emotionally and physically. She headed towards the elevator and hovered over the buttons for a few moments. Finally, she pressed the one for engineering and the doors shut behind her. She could use some work to get her mind off things for a while, and the sooner they could get airborne the better. As she rode down the elevator she hoped her optimism wasn't misplaced.

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"So she got swallowed by a harvester?" Shepard asked incredulously.

"Yep, right down the gullet" Jack smirked. "Then all of a sudden there are these huge biotic explosions inside its gut and Rodriguez crawls out and yells 'well that tasted like shit!'". Shepard let out a few laughs before he remembered how much his chest hurt and settled for a grin. Jack laughed along with him, then grew solemn and stared at the ground. "Still" she said. "I lost a lot of good kids out there. Good to know it was worth it I guess".

"It was Jack. And hey, I'm glad you made it out in one piece" said Shepard.

"Yeah well, I got a couple new scars to cover up with ink, but I guess I'm good" she stated, and began glancing over Shepard's injuries. "Speaking of which…" She began.

"I don't think so Jack" Shepard countered quickly.

"Aww, c'mon Shepard. Ya know Tali would probably think it was…" she trailed off as Shepard lowered his gaze slightly. "Sorry" she apologized. "I know you haven't heard from her yet".

"It's okay" he replied. "Once they sort out the mess with the Alliance systems I'm gonna start doing some research, see if I can't find out what happened to the Normandy".

"Well hey, for what it's worth; good luck" Jack said sympathetically. "And when you do find her, the three of us are going out for drinks, my treat". Shepard rolled his eyes, remembering the last time Tali and Jack drank together. The biotic had convinced her to get a hologram tattoo of questionable content because Shepard would 'think it was hot'.

"Thanks Jack, I think we'll take you up on that" he said. In reality he had begun to worry. It had now been almost a week and a half since he activated the Crucible and there was still no word of the Normandy. Several people in the Alliance navy had seen the ship enter the Sol relay as the signal was sent out that destroyed the Reapers, but no one seemed to know what had befallen the vessel after that. As Jack left the room Shepard laid his head back and stared at the ceiling, hoping against hope that the crew and Tali, especially Tali, were alright.


	4. Chapter 4

Still Breathing

 **Chapter 4**

Joker was right, it had indeed taken the Normandy about a week of space flight to make it back to the Sol system. They touched down in a makeshift spaceport outside of London. Tali's head was absolutely awash with emotions. She was at the same time excited for any news on Shepard and gut wrenchingly terrified of what she might find. But she had to know, and she told herself this repeatedly as she made her way down the docking ramp and into the main area of the port.

As they checked into customs Tali looked at the city around her. It seemed like a nightmare. Rubble littered every corner of her vision, most of it appearing as though it had been cleared from somewhere else, but no one could find space to dispose of it all. As far as she could see, not a single building was left without damage, and very few were entirely intact. Most people walking around the port looked like refugees and there was a general sense of confusion as lines formed behind information kiosks to find news about loved ones and friends. Garrus strode up next to her and said "Vega and I are going to head to the kiosks to see if we can find anything. Liara said she was going to try and find one of her contacts". Tali nervously nodded to him. She wasn't quite sure what she should do. Everything looked like one big mess to her. Then she noticed her omni-tool alerting her to a new message. She opened it up and found it contained only one line of text: an address and a room number.

"What is it?" asked Garrus.

"I… don't know, there's no sender name. It's just this address" she answered.

"Hmm, well that's a bit… suspicious" the Turian said thoughfully. "My instincts smell a trap, but I don't think anyone even knows we're alive".

Tali opened up a map of the area and found that the address was a building in a refugee area inside London. "it looks like the area is heavily populated" she said. "I'll go check it out while you and James check the kiosks".

"Hmm, alright. But keep you short range comms online and call for help if you need backup" Replied Garrus. The Quarian nodded and went to hire a transport.

While Tali rode through the air in the sky car she got a better glimpse of the ruined city. From her new vantage point she could see clearly the crumpled form of the citadel lying in the middle of London and her heart sank. It was hard to fathom anyone on board the wrecked station could have gotten out alive and she started to feel that familiar sorrow building up in her chest. She almost considered asking the driver to turn around as emotions took over in her head, but by then they had almost arrived at their destination. As the cab touched down she apathetically payed the driver and he set off to find another passenger.

Tali stared up at the building before her. It was one of the few structures in the area that was still mostly intact, with only a few big chunks missing out of the bricks and several broken windows on the side. She noticed someone being carried on a stretcher through the front doors. 'A hospital?' she thought. Her mind began to race. Could Shepard be in there? Was he okay? Was he in its morgue, or a bed? A thousand possibilities of what lie ahead rushed through her mind as she slowly made her way through the door way and checked her omni-tool to find the correct room.

Tali made her way up several flights of stairs before stepping out into a busy hallway. It was very clear now that this was indeed in a hospital, with patients being pushed in wheelchairs and hobbling along with IV stands rolling beside them. Outside of several doorways stood doctors flipping through clipboards and jotting down notes. As she walked down the hall towards the room number she needed to find, surprise flashed across her face when she recognized a familiar figure leaning against the wall of the hallway.

"Wrex?" Tali gaped. He was the last face she expected to see in a hospital designed for humans.

Wrex turned to meet her stare and let out a bellowing laugh. "Well I'll be damned" he nearly shouted. As he grinned the Krogan thumbed towards the room to his right "He's gonna be happy to see you I think".

"H…he…?" Tali stammered out. 'It couldn't be' she thought. She started to sweat as she walked forward, completely unprepared for what she might find. Then, as she crossed the threshold into the room she beheld one of the most wonderful sights she had ever seen and made a sharp gasp.

"Shepard!" she exclaimed breathlessly. To anyone else, his body would have been cause for concern. Shepards's face and arms were covered in bruises, stitched up gashes could be seen in several places, and along his neck and shoulder were several burn marks where skin had been seared away. But to Tali, who had up until now guessed that he was dead, his current condition was a welcome sight. He looked up at her with a smile accompanied by astonishment. "Tali…" he uttered in disbelief. The Quarian rushed over to his bedside, threw herself into a loving hug and let out a mixture between a laugh and a sob as tears began to well up in her eyes. Shepard groaned involuntarily as her weight pressed down on his chest.

Tali jumped back at the sound. "Ah, Sorry!" she apologized and settled for taking his hand into hers and squeezing gently. "Shepard, I thought… I thought…" she struggled to get the words out through small sobs.

"Yeah, so did I" he said with a soft smile and squeezed right back.

"Keelah Shepard" she said as she rested her visor against his hand. "Don't ever do that to me again".

"I know, I'm sorry. C'mere" he apologized as he lifted his arm to bring her into a hug. "Gently" he added. "My ribs are still healing". Tali gave a soft laugh in between teary sniffles and slid in to embrace him, resting her head on his shoulder and letting out a soft sigh.

After a few moments Tali shifted to rest her visor against his for head. "Shepard, when you put me onto the Normandy and rushed off…" she said quietly. "I thought I was never going to see you again".

"I know" he responded at equal volume. "I thought it was a one way trip too".

"I'm glad it wasn't" Tali whispered.

They heard a laugh come from the doorway and realized Wrex was leaning against the frame. "Heh, yeah. Leave it to this pyjak to save the galaxy three times and live to tell about it" he remarked grinning. It was the outside presence of their friend that suddenly reminded Tali of the massage on her omni-tool.

"Wrex, are you the one who sent this to me?" she asked abruptly as she brought up the address and room number on her holographic display. Wrex shook his head. "Nah, not me. I hate using those things" he answered. "Didn't even know where you were until now".

"What is it?" Shepard inquired, leaning in to see the message.

"It was how I found you. Someone sent me the location of this room as soon as we touched down in the port" she informed him.

"That's strange, no sender" Shepard pointed out.

"I know, but… I guess it doesn't matter now" she said.

Wrex shrugged. "If they sent it to you they must be friendly" He remarked. "Or at least not wanna kill you". The two of them nodded in agreement.

"I guess you're right" accepted Tali.

"So who made it back with you on the Normandy?" Shepard asked. "Is everyone okay?".

Tali nodded again "pretty much everyone made it through the crash alright. Garrus, Liara, James, Joker" She listed.

Shepard sighed in relief, then raised an eyebrow. "The crash?" he inquired.

"It's a long story" Tali replied, she then opened up her omni-tool to swipe her fingers across the holographic display. "I suppose the others will be wanting to know you're okay" she said and began sending messages to the crew members, informing them of the good news.

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Aria T'Loak sat with her legs crossed on a long, black leather couch with a data pad in her had. A female Turian approached her as she looked up from behind the screen.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"It looks like Tali'Zorah was able to find him with the address you gave" she answered.

"Good, now Shepard can't say I owe him anything. Everyone's back to being one big happy family" she said with feigned disinterest.

"I don't get it. What's the good of a favor he doesn't know you gave him" The Turian asked.

"You have a lot to learn Nyreen" said Aria haughtily. "I never show my hand if I don't have to. And I can keep this card tucked away until I need it".

Nyreen frowned slightly. "I would have thought you'd done him enough favors, lending him your little army for the war" She said.

"Yes, well. A few extra points here and there can't hurt" the Asari stated coolly. "Besides, it's not as if it took much effort on my part".

"If you say so Aria" the Turian smirked as she turned to leave. She suspected that a certain Council Spectre had rubbed off a little good will on the crime lord during their last meeting…


	5. Chapter 5

Still Breathing

 **Chapter 5**

Joker, Liara, James and Garrus had gathered around Shepard's hospital bed, their faces lined in shock.

"Well, I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't standing here myself" said Garrus, the first to compose himself. "Thought maybe Tali had finally shaken a few bolts loose up there. Didn't figure anyone could survive a crash like that". James silently nodded his agreement, then Garrus added "Sure good to see you in one piece Shepard".

"Yeah, jeez Commander, I mean way to hog all the glory again. Ya know, I think you're the only guy to have a 21-gun salute and live to tell about it?" Joker commented with his usual sarcasm. The others chuckled at the pilot's humor, his jokes a welcome ice breaker as they adjusted to seeing their assumed-to-be-dead friend alive and well.

"I suppose a lot of unexpected things have come out of this war" said Liara with a thin smile. "But I must say, this is one of the better surprises we've had lately".

"Yeah, but I gotta ask Commander. How'd you actually make it outta there alive?" asked James.

Shepard shook his head. "I don't remember much to be honest" he admitted. "After the Crucible was activated I the whole station started to shake. I knew the feeling of a ship entering atmo, so I figured that was it. But then I remember seeing the keepers…".

"The keepers?" mimed Tali in confusion.

Shepard nodded. "I saw them all scurrying together in the same direction" he explained.

"Like rats in a sewer" offered Garrus. "If there's a flood, they all scamper to the nearest exit".

"Right" confirmed Shepard. "So I followed them into the maintenance tunnels. They finally stopped in a few small corridors. I think it was where the Presidium connects to the outer arms, but I'm still not exactly sure. After that, the shaking got more intense and I blacked out. And now I'm here" he finished.

"That could make sense" Tali remarked thoughtfully. "It seems likely that the sections where the arms connected would have to stand up to a lot of stress, so they would be stronger than the rest of the station. In theory anyway".

Shepard shrugged. "All I know is that the doctor told me if I wasn't wearing a hard suit I would've been a lot worse off than I was" he said.

"I don't think you get much worse Loco" commented James.

"I guess not" Shepard admitted.

Liara nodded. "I saw your X-rays. It looked like it was pretty bad" she said with mild concern. "Let any of us know if you need anything, I'm sure you're in a lot of pain".

Shepard shrugged again. "My whole body aches, but the doctors say the worst is over. I was unconscious for most of it anyway".

"The nurses are bringing up a cot so I can stay here with him" Tali mentioned. "But if there's anything we can't get in the hospital I'll let you know".

"All right, well we still need to go out and re-supply the Normandy, so message me if you think of anything" said Garrus. Then he looked up thoughtfully and added "I guess we're all going to have to find somewhere to stay while the mass relays are rebuilt, whenever that's gonna be".

Liara gave a frown at that. "Hmm, yes. That could be problematic" she said solemnly. "I know most of us probably want to get back to our home planets as soon as we can. Not to mention my inexperience with living in human settlements…"

"How much work would it take to get EDI back online?" Joker asked. "She could probably help coordinate the repairs for the Sol relay".

"That is a good point" replied Liara. "I can see if any of my contacts here have the parts we need. It shouldn't be too difficult though".

A light rain began to pelt the window as the four finished making their plans. They said goodbye to the newly reunited couple as they filed out of the small hospital room. When the last one left and the door closed behind them, Tali looked over at Shepard only to notice he was fast asleep. She laughed to herself, realizing that the last hour must have been exhausting for him. She watched him sleep for a while, thankful to have Shepard back in her life before she unfolded the cot to attempt to get some rest for herself.

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Shepard awoke to the sound of movement in his hospital room. He squinted over at the clock next to his bed to see that it read 2:35 a.m. and heard the distant clap of thunder as rain pounded against the side of the building. Then something strange entered his vision as he noticed two dimly lit orbs floating outside the window and had to blink several times before he realized what he was looking at. It was Tali, the reflections of her glowing eyes appearing on the glass as she stood and stared out on the rainy evening.

"Can't sleep?" Shepard asked groggily.

She turned to face him. "Sorry, did I wake you?" she asked apologetically.

Shepard smiled and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "It's okay" he answered. "Is something wrong?".

Tali folded her arms in front of her chest and shifted uncomfortably. "It's nothing really, just… I guess I'm just not used to the rain" she admitted, a bit embarrassed. Shepard remembered how difficult it was for Tali to adjust to sleeping without the sound of a loud engine when she first came on board the Normandy.

"I've spent most of my life on board ships and space stations" she explained as she paced over towards the bed. "Even when I was on my pilgrimage with you, we only ever swooped in for a mission before we were back in space again".

"Well, I suppose your people are going to have to start getting used to weather again now that you have Rannoch back" observed Shepard.

Tali sat down in the chair next to his bed and let out a heavy sigh. "I guess that's the other thing" she said with a tinge of melancholy. "My people… We have a home now. And… I'm an admiral. I'll be expected to oversee things on Rannoch once the mass relays are back up". She looked over at Shepard with apparent conflict in her eyes. "Shepard, I don't… I don't know what I want. Keelah, I just got you back. But I know people need me back home. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see Rannoch. But…" She looked away from him and down at the floor. "I don't want to have to leave you again".

Shepard took her hand. "Who ever said I was planning on staying here?" he asked her gently.

"Wh-what? But Shepard…" Tali began, but he continued anyway.

"Tali. I'm going with you. Back to Rannoch" he said. "I want to help you build your home by the ocean. I want us to have a life together. God knows we deserve it".

"Shepard…" she repeated. "I don't know if… if I can give you the life you want back on Rannoch. I don't know if-". She was interrupted again as Shepard lifted Tali's chin so that her eyes met his.

"Hey" he said reassuringly. "We've been over this before. I don't want some other life with some other woman. I want you, and everything that comes with you".

Tali just shook her head in disbelief. "But Shepard, what about Earth? It's your home and its being rebuilt" She asked with concern.

"Tali, I've had 30 years to call Earth home. I lived the first 18 of them on it. You just got yours back, and you deserve to be there" He said as he gazed into her softly glowing eyes. Then added "Besides, I just saved the whole planet and the galaxy. Again. I think it's fine if cleanup duty goes to someone else for a change".

"Shepard…" Tali started, her voice somewhere in between love and admiration. "I… I don't know what to say".

"You don't have to say anything. You never have" Shepard said affectionately. Tali sighed and rested her head on his chest.

"I don't deserve you, you know that?" she whispered.

"Hmm. You delivered vital intelligence that helped defeat Saren, took him down with me, crawled through steaming vents to take out the Collector base, stuck with me through the worst war this galaxy's ever fought…" Shepard listed. "I don't think there's anyone more deserving of a happy ending than you".

Tali playfully hit his chest. "Flatterer" she said as she lifted her head to look into Shepard's eyes. "You're sure you'd be okay with that?" she asked. "Living on Rannoch with Quarians and Geth?"

"I'm sure" he stated firmly.

Tali searched his eyes for any hint of dishonesty but found none. She placed her head back against him and gave a relenting sigh. "Okay" she said softly.

The couple laid there in a silent embrace for a time, simply happy to have each other's company. After a few minutes, Tali propped herself up so that she was once again facing Shepard.

"Hey, Shepard?" she began, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "If you really mean that… I mean, about wanting to have a life together, that is… well, um… Would you… I mean, in Quarian culture the gender that initiates it is irrelevant, but I know that on Earth it's usually the man who… ah, what I'm trying to ask is… um" she struggled to form the thought into a coherent sentence.

"Tali… are you trying to ask me to marry you?" Shepard asked coyly with a small smile.

If she was fumbling for words before, Shepard's perception sent Tali's train of thought straight into a brick wall. "Well, ehm. It's not marriage per se, at least not in the human sense… ah, well, Quarian bonding ceremonies borrow heavily from Asari traditions and, um… Th-the specifics are a bit different, but it basically correlates to human marriage in its significance to the relationship and… and…". Shepard interrupted her politely.

"Tali, you're babbling" he said somewhat playfully.

The Quarian let out an exasperated sigh. "I know, I just-" she began.

"Tali, yes" Shepard intervened. "Of coarse I will".

"You-You will? You mean, you want to…" she took a deep breath to stopped herself from going off on another ramble and rested her visor against Shepard's forehead. "I love you John Shepard" she said, affectionately using his full name.

"And I love you Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy" he returned.

"Thank you Shepard. I always get nervous with these kind of things. Even with you" she admitted.

"I know" he reassured her. "Ya know, you're actually pretty cute when you're flustered".

"Bosh'tet" she replied playfully.

"So, do I have to buy you a ring or something?" he asked, half-joking.

"A… ring?" she echoed confused. Tali was completely ignorant to Shepard's reference.

Shepard laughed. "Nevermind" he said as he drew her into a deep embrace. After a few moments, it seemed that was all Tali needed to allow her to drift into the first peaceful sleep she'd had in weeks. Shepard smiled as he held the exhausted Quarian and drifted off himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Still Breathing

 **Chapter 6- Epilogue**

Four months had passed since the Normandy made its way back to Earth. The crew had all found temporary living quarters while repairs on the mass relays were in progress, with Shepard and Tali following suit and renting a small apartment beside the Thames as soon as he was recovered.

The couple now walked side by side down a small street, taking glances left and right until Tali spotted what they were looking for. "Ah! There it is" she exclaimed as she matched the address to the one on her omni-tool. "Mc…Doooowell's Pub" she read slowly, having just barely mastered the English alphabet during their brief stay. Although Shepard had to admit, Tali had adapted surprisingly well to living in London. She had even managed to pick up some words in the English language, and he found it unendingly endearing when she tried to sound things out.

"I don't know… looks pretty local" She remarked suspiciously. "Do you think they serve dextro?".

"Well, Garrus is the one who picked this place, so my guess is yes" Shepard reassured her.

The two then made their way inside and after a few seconds of scanning, spied Joker giving them an overly exaggerated wave. Around him at the table sat Garrus, Liara, James, Wrex, Jack and EDI, who was now fully functional again.

"Shepard, Tali. Glad you could make it" Garrus said. "Was hoping this would be enough to pry you two away from your love nest".

"Very funny Garrus" Shepard replied as they sat down with the others. "Wouldn't have missed it for the world".

"Sorry we're a little late. Shepard wanted to let me read all the street signs. He thinks it's funny when I try and say the names" Tali said with feigned annoyance.

"You can read that crap?" Wrex asked incredulously.

"Hey, don't call our language crap" Jack shot half-jokingly.

Liara sighed and turned to Shepard. "I tried to get him to at least learn the alphabet, but he refused" she remarked, tilting her head in Wrex's direction.

"Well we'll all be going home soon anyway now that some of the mass relays are back up and running" Garrus reasoned. "In fact, tomorrow is my last day here. I'll be headed back to Palaven to help coordinate its reconstruction".

"And I'm leaving very soon for Thessia" revealed Liara as she sipped her glass of wine.

The group then turned their gaze to Wrex, expecting him to comment on leaving as well. He shrugged.

"What?" asked the Krogan. "You don't think I'm gonna stay on this pile of rubble any longer than I have to do ya?".

"What, so you can get back to that other pile of rubble you call Tuchanka?" quipped Garrus.

"Hahahaaaaa" Wrex grinned as he let out one of his low, rumbling laughs. "Yeah, but it's _my_ pile of rubble. And I don't plan to let those pyjak clan leaders forget it".

Shepard ordered a few drinks for Tali and himself, then turned back to the rest of the table. "Well don't let yourselves become strangers" he said. "I'm gonna miss having you all around".

"Aww, you're gonna make me cry" Jack exclaimed melodramatically.

"I don't think I'd worry about that Shepard. Bonds like the ones we've made don't die so easily" assured Liara.

"Yeah, and sooner or later you'll have a problem you need to call a Krogan in to fix" stated Wrex pridefully.

"So what about you guys?" asked Joker, indicating towards Shepard and Tali with his glass of beer. The couple exchanged glances.

"Well, Shepard and I are going to Rannoch, and then…" Tali began.

"And then we're going to have our bonding ceremony" finished Shepard. "You're all invited of course".

"Oh! That's wonderful" Liara congratulated.

"Heh, alright. That means you're gonna throw another awesome fiesta, right amigo?" James asked with enthusiasm.

"Sure Vega" answered Shepard. "Just, try and bring something a little classier than nachos to this one".

The group shared a laugh as congratulations were issued from the rest of the table. James decided that nachos did in fact sound pretty good and ordered a plate for everyone while Tali and Garrus shared some dextro-based pub fare. The friends began to chat and before they knew it, several hours had already passed…

 _3 hours later…_

"… then you raised your arms up like they were wings and just started making engine sounds with your mouth!" Explained James and started to imitate the 'shuuuum' sounds of the Normandy's drive core.

"Oh Keelah…" Tali said, clearly embarrassed by her own drunken shenanigans as she buried her visor in her palm. Shepard laughed softly and patted her on the back in silent support.

"Yeah, you really can't hold your liquor, can you?" Jack piped in. "Speakin' of which, I've always wanted to know. What happens when you throw up in that thing?" she asked curiously.

"I don't wanna talk about it…" Tali responded in annoyance.

"C'mon, pretty please?" Jack said as she made her best attempt in vain to sound like an innocent little girl.

"No" the Quarian said flatly, clearly not in the mood to divulge enviro-suit hygienics.

"Alright guys, I think you've tormented her enough" Shepard said lightheartedly. Then he turned to EDI, who had been mostly silent during the outing. "You alright EDI? You aren't really talking that much".

"Oh. No Shepard, I am fine. I have simply been observing organic recreational social behaviors and cataloging them in my memory banks for future program algorithms" stated the AI. Then she added "It has been quite enjoyable. I mostly lacked the opportunity to do so while on board the Normandy".

"Yeah, tell me about it" Said Joker as he took another gulp of beer.

Garrus chuckled and leaned back in his chair to stretch. "Well, as much as I'd like this night to go on forever, I think I have to be heading out. My transport leaves pretty early tomorrow" he informed them.

Liara gave a sad smile. "I suppose it is getting rather late. But I'm going to miss having everyone so close by" she said. Everyone nodded in silent agreement.

Shepard stood up. "Well then, I guess this is goodbye for now" he said. "I'm honored to call you all my friends".

"And Shepard meant what he said" added Tali. "You're all invited to the bonding ceremony on Rannoch".

With that, the group got up from the table and said the rest of their goodbyes. As Shepard walked home, Tali's arm looped around his elbow, he gazed up at the starry sky in reflection. Even with all the bloodshed and loss, it really had been an amazing journey these last few years, and he couldn't think of any other people he would have rather had by his side.

"All right, how bout that one" Tali asked as she pointed at another street sign. "Chaaaambuuurs" she attempted.

"Close" Shepard laughed. "Chambers".

"Hmm. Guess it doesn't matter much now" she said. "Pretty soon you're going to have to start learning Khelish".

"Ahh, how hard can it be" he said dismissively.

"There are thirty two separate vowels and seventy three syllabic characters with ten stand alone consonants" she stated.

"Okay, maybe it'll be a challenge" Shepard responded wryly as he looked up again at the night sky, thinking about the future they would have on her home planet.

The couple stopped next to the river and looked out across its gently flowing waters. Tali rested her head on Shepard's shoulder. "You know, I think I'm going to miss this place a little" she said sadly.

Shepard put his arm around her. "Well Joker and EDI are going to be staying in Vancouver" he reminded her. "So it'll give us an excuse to visit".

"I'd like that" she sighed.

As the two watched, they noticed how much life had flowed back into the city since the war had ended. Sky cars zipped low through the skyline, people rushed home from their nights of drinking and shopping, and most of the piles of rubble had been cleared out to make way for new buildings. It seemed like normalcy had finally returned to the galaxy, and it was a welcome sight.

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 _4 years later, on Rannoch…_

Shepard was sitting on the couch, looking over some news vids on his data pad when he heard the front door open.

"Hey, so how'd it go Tal-" he began to ask, but his tongue caught in his mouth as Tali entered the living room. The difference was stunningly apparent. Gone was her enviro-suit, replaced now with loose-fitting leggings and blue cloth that crisscrossed in front of her hips to wind its way up into a light shawl, similar in style to the fabric that had previously adorned her suit. In place of her helmet was Tali's beaming face, wavy dark hair rolling down over her shoulders.

"Tali, you… you're-" but Shepard was cut off yet again as the Quarian rushed over to him, her hood slipping off and letting her hair blow back from the momentum. She leapt into his arms and Shepard gave her a spin around the room before placing her back on the ground as she laughed.

"I decided to surprise you" she told him with a smile. "I went to the doctors today and they said my immune system was ready". Tali had had a Geth program in her suit for nearly a year now, slowly exposing her body to contaminants to artificially accelerate her body's defenses. But Shepard had no idea that she had been this close to completing the process.

"Well, color me surprised" he said with a grin. Tali leaned in and gave him a kiss, wrapping her arms around him in a deep embrace.

"I can barely believe it myself" she admitted when they broke for air. "I mean look at me. Now I can kiss you, touch you whenever I want. No immuno-boosters, no supplements, just…" she trailed off as she looked out the window of their house. "Do you know, coming home today… It was the first time I've ever been outside without my suit" she said as tear welled up in her eyes. "It's all so… overwhelming".

Shepard gently rubbed her back to reassure her and Tali let out a small gasp, then sighed as she realized what it was.

"See? I'm not even used to that" she said with a teary eyed laugh.

"Well I suppose it'll take some time to adjust" Shepard sympathized.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled" she clarified. "It's just so different".

"Well for what it's worth…" he said as he looked down at her new outfit. "I think you look amazing". Tali blushed and pulled him in for another kiss.

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we go to that new café that opened up by the ocean?" Shepard suggested. "We could sit at a table outside".

Tali grinned at the suggestion. "That sounds great" she responded enthusiastically. "Keelah, I can even eat real food without a filter now. No more pastes and purees. And… and we could go swimming, or take a walk outside or-". Shepard interrupted her by putting a hand on her cheek.

"How about one thing at a time" he said with a smile. "Why don't we start with dinner?".

Tali laughed and nodded. "Dinner, right" she agreed.

"Before we go though, I had something I wanted to give you when you got your suit off" Shepard told her as he went over and opened a drawer by the window. He returned with a small black velvet box in his hand.

"Tali" he began, and he opened up the box to reveal a sparkling silvery ring. "I know the tradition doesn't mean much to Quarians, but I still wanted to do this for you" Said Shepard as he slipped the ring onto one of her three fingers. It fit perfectly.

"Oh, Shepard. It's beautiful" she cooed. "How did you know what size to get?"

"I just looked at your suit specs and took the measurement from there. It's made of palladium by the way" He stated with a smirk. "I know how much you love your elements".

Tali let out a loud laugh, remembering the time she'd drunkenly recited the entire periodic table at Shepard's party. She then looked up affectionately into his eyes. "I love it" she said, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"And I love you, Tali'Zorah Vas Rannoch" said Shepard as he brought her in for another embrace.

"I love you too Shepard" Replied Tali.

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So that's it for this Still Breathing, hope you enjoyed it! I tried as best I could to stick to canon and not invent any new lore or words in order to stay true to the feel of the Mass Effect series and its characters. If anyone's favorites did not show up, my apologies. I attempted to work with a limited cast of my personal favorite characters for a more streamlined story.

This was my first fan fiction, so feedback is encouraged. As much as I love ME3, I admit the ending left me wanting more as far as character conclusions go. So I was thusly inspired to write this story.


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